The activities of erythroid cells to synthesize DNA, RNA, and protein are sequentially lost as the cells mature. Since erythrocytes of lower vertebrates, in contrast to those of mammalians, retain nuclei even when they have matured, the nucleated erythrocyte is a convenient probe for studying the relationship between the structure and the function of chromatin. In avian erythrocytes, it has been reported that histone H 5 specific for the nucleated erythrocyte appears and the repeat length of nucleosome elongates during maturation. From the comparative biochemical point of view, I have studied histone composition and nucleosome structure of the chromatin from the nucleated erythrocytes of bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. It has been found that the nucleated erythrocytes of amphibian makedly differs in the chromatin structure from those of avian.
The chromatin of frog erythrocyte consists of five major histories (H1A, H2A, H2B, H3, and H 4) and three minor histories (H1B, R 1, and R 2). The five major histories are almost identical with those of hen erythrocytes. However, it is characteristic of the chromatin of frog erythrocytes that it lacks histone H 5, which is an additional major histone of hen erythrocytes and has been considered specific for the nucleated erythrocyte so far, and that it has the three minor histones, which are not found in hen erythrocytes. H1B is a very lysine-rich histone and has essentially the same amino acid composition as that of H 1. K, a subfraction of lysine-rich histories extracted from bovine liver. R 1, differing in the amino acid composition from any chromosomal proteins so far reported, is rich in lysine and alanine and has alanine residue as N-terminus. R 2 has both acidic and basic amino acids in an equal amount and methionine residue as a N-terminus. On the basis of the amino acid composition and the position migrated in two dimentional gel electrophoresis, R 2 is identified as A 24 protein, a molecule composed of H2A and ubiquitin covalently attached through an isopeptide linkage. Histone H 1. K and A24 protein are known to be specific for a non-dividing cell and to appear when template activity decreases, respectively. Therefore, in the frog erythrocyte lacking H 5, H 1. K-like histone and A 24 protein may play a central role in genetic inactivation during the erythrocyte maturation.
The nucleosome repeat lengths are determined to be 196 and 195 for the erythrocyte and liver of frog, and 208 and 197 for those of hen, respectively. It appears that there is no difference in the length between transcriptionally inactive erythrocyte and active liver of the frog, while the length of hen erythrocyte is longer by about 10 base pairs than that of hen liver. All the results described here suggest that the mechanism, by which the maturation of the amphibian erythrocyte is regulated, is different from that of the avian erythrocyte.

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The vasculature in the pulmonary circulation is known to have specific anatomic architecture and in this view point that alteration of the arterioles in pulmonary circulation attracts much attention of the physiologists, thoracic surgeons and pulmonary pathologists. Extensive pathological surveys of the hypertensive pulmonary vasculature have been hitherto reported, however, the vigorous studies of the pulmonary arterioles in acquired heart diseases should await further clarification. In this connection, the author has investigated the changes of the pulmonary arterioles in acqu'red heart diseases by the light microscope and electron microscope as well. The specimens were available either autopsy or surgical biopsy.
For clarification of the alteration of the connective tissue involving the collagen fibrils and elastic fibers, the periodic acid methenarnine silver (PAM) stain and tannic acid stain (Mizuhira et al.) have been applied. The studied cases are as follows: Forty-three cases of autopsy; Aortic valvular disease (AVD) 15 cases, Mitral valvular disease (MVD) 20 cases, Combined valvular disease (CVD) 8 cases. Ten cases of surgical biopsy ; AVD 3 cases, MVD 3 cases, CVD 4 cases.
Based on the criteria of Heath & Edwards, the relatively slight cases reveal swelling of the endothelial cells, medial fibrosis and edema, however, in cases which involved moderate or advanced pathological changes reveal intensive proliferation of PAM positive collagen fibrils of irregular configuration and increase of elastic fibers in media and adventitia. The latter is selectively demonstrated with tannic acid stain. The changes are frequently observed in rather in the mitral valvular disease than the aortic valvular disease. More detailed investigation reveals the sclerotic changes particularly involving the media and adventitia. These changes are also observed in cases of Grade 1 (Heath & Edwards) not only the severe cases which may be classified as Grade 3. The initial sclerotic changes involving the arterioles. eventually give the persisting derangement of the circulatory disturbance and finally may cause the sclerotic changes of the arteries at higher level.

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There are various methods for lumbar venography, depending upon the infusion route of the contrast medium. The author performed studies on lumbar venography using the Seldinger technique, concerning which no detailed report had yet been published.
Prior to applying the Seldinger technique for lumbar venography to clinical cases, an experimental study was carried out in 28 cadavers to ensure the accuracy of the insertion of Seldinger's needle into the femoral vein and the catheterization of the ascending lumbar and presacral veins. The direction and distribution of the veins were then anatomically elucidated and therewith classified. Subsequently a clinical study was performed on 104 patients with suspected lumbar disc herniations.
1) The morphology of the direction of the femoral veins were classified into Types 1, 2, and 3 based on the relation of the femoral vein to the femoral artery.
2) Numerous variations were observed in the branching pattern of the ascending lumbar veins and they were classified into Types 1, 2 and 3 on the right side, and Types 1 and 2 on the left side.
3) There were almost no variations in the branching patterns of the presacral veins.
4) Four types of catheters were designed based on the findings obtained from the abovementioned experimental study.
5) Lumbar venography by the Seldinger technique was performed in 104 patients with suspected lumbar disc herniations. Sixty eight patients out of these were examined with venography, myelography and operative exploration. It was found that the diagnostic accuracy of venography was 94%. Discrepancies between the venogram and the operative findings were observed in cases of recurrent lumbar disc herniations. (Cases with previous lumbar disc surgery).
6) In venography at the L 5--S 1 level, better roentgenograms were obtained by catheterizing the presacral vein rather than the ascending lumbar vein.
7) By comparison with the findings in exploratory surgery, it was found that the diagnostic accuracy of venography was far superior to that of myelography at the L 5-S 1 level, although there was no difference between the accuracy of venography and myelography at the L 4-L 5 level.
8) Lumbar venography by the Seldinger technique is an extremely useful auxiliary diagnostic procedure when myelography findings are in disagreement with clinical findings.

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Platelet adhesiveness and its aggregative function are regarded as most leading causative factors of cerebral infarction. However, the studies on the platelet retention rate in the aged subjects remain rather scanty in number. In this viewpoint, the author performed the investigation of the platelet retention rate in 490 cases over 60 years of age in the nursing home of the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital. The determination of the platelet retention rate was made by the Salzman method as modified by Yasunaga. Moreover, inhibitors of platelet such as acetyl salcylica cid, dipyridamola nd sulfinepyrasonew ere administered to the aged subjects. The long term administrationo f these drugs resulted in preventiono f cerebro-vascularc cidents.
The results obtained were as follows:
(1) The normal value of the platelet retention rate of the aged was 48.3 21.1% in the male group and 36.8 18.7% in the female group respectively.
(2) Related to the effecting factors on platelet retention rate :
1) The higher retention rate was observedi n the male group in comparisonto the female group. 2) There was no definite correlation between the platelet count and the retention rate, while the retention rate was well correlated with the hematocrit value.
3) The retention rate of the hypertensive subject was much higher than that of the normotensives ubjects.
4) The retention rate was much higher in the cold season than in the warm or hot season.
5) The retention rate of the smoker group was much higher than that of the non- smoker group.
(3) The administrationo f acentyls alicylica cid resulted in lowering of the retention rate. The tendencyb ecamem uch more prouncedw ith simultaneousa dministrationo f dipyridamola nd sulfinepyrasone.
(4) For the preventiono f the causationo f cerebral infarction, 0. 75 g of acetyl salcylica cid was given every other day for two years, and a follow-up study was made. The observation revealed cerebral infarction in 4 cases out of 83 in the control group, while only 1 case was observedi n the drug-administeredg roup, which suggesteda slight effect of preventingo f these drugs on cerebral infarction.

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In order to clarify the causative mechanism of ischemic brain edema, having prepared an experimental model with a Mongolian gerbil in whose brain an ischemic area can be easily produced by a unilateral carotid artery ligation (ULCL), the author made a series of periodic examinations on the brain water contents, brain tissue Na⁺ and K⁺, brain energy metabolism (ATP, c-AMP and lactate), CBF and ¹³¹I-RISA uptake into the brain tissue respectively. From the viewpoint that edematous fluid is to be produced either by blood or by spinal fluid, brain edemas were classified into the one due to blood-brain barrier and the other due to spinal fluid brain barrier. Then the former group was further classified into two groups. the one due to functional and the other due to organic disorders, and the following results were obtained.
1) Observations of the brain water contents after ULCL proved that an ischemic brain edema occurs as early as within two to three hours after an ischemia.
2) Shortly after the ligation, a significant increase of Na ⁺ and decrease of K⁺ in the brain tissue were observed. It is considered hat these electrolyte changes may suggest the occurrence of the functional disorder of the blood-brain barrier by sodium pump disfunction.
3) After the ligation, along with the CBF decrease, a significant decrease of ATP, and increase of lactate, and a temporary increase of c-AMP in the brain tissue were observed. This shows that the functional disorder of blood- brain barrier caused by the disturbance of brain energy metabolism occurs and this is accompanied by the osmotic pressure within the brain tissue, and qualitative changes of membrane, etc. It was assumed that brain edema occurs shortly after ischemia.
4) Within 12 hours or so following the ligation, a tendency could be recognized that ¹³¹I RISA began to leak out into the brain tissue. It suggests that the organic disorder of the blood-brain barrier was occurred, it was assumed that the brain edema caused shortly after the ischemia could be further developed by this organic disorder.
5) Judging from the above results, it can be concluded that the mechanism of ischemic brain edema is due to the functional disorder of the blood-brain barrier caused by the disturbance of brain energy metabolism. In addition to this, the brain edema due to the organic disorder of the blood-brain barrier is occurred within 12 hours or so following the ischemia.

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Since the seventies, gram-negative bacilli, especially, Pseudomonas, have become increasingly responsible for causing infectious diseases. In most cases, the infection due to Pseudomonas falls under the category of mixed infection, in as much as not only Pseudomonas, but also intestinal flora, above all E.Coli, is responsible as the causative agent. Consequently, in addition to the conventional bacteriological approach, i. e., the studies of the given species of bacillus in isolation, the so-called clinico-bacteriological approach, i. e., the studies of interactions between different species of bacilli, must be taken into consideration. The present study was undertaken to clarify Pseudomonas infection by observing the growth of Pseudomonas under altered environmental conditions. The following results were obtained.
1) Under aerobic conditions, changes in the environments such as the existence of other species of bacilli, changes in pH and the presence of glucoid or bile acids did not affect the growth of Pseudomonas.
2) Under anaerobic conditions, the existence of E. Coli restricted the growth of Pseudomonas, provided that glucoid was added.

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The ora serrata is the frontal part of the parsoptics retinae, contacting the pars plana epithelium and forming saw-toothed processes. These processes are called the teeth of the ora serrata and the part where pars plana epithelium curves backward between the teeth is called the bay of the pars plana. Since there has recently been a great improvement in examination instruments, there has been a tendency for physicians to pay more attention to the conditions of the peripheral and the surrounding areas, particularly the relation ofthese part to the retinal detachment. However, there have not been many reports onanatomical studies of theoraserrata, so I examined theoraserrata of 70 eyes on the standpoint ofclinical anatomy.
The eyeballs removed from the cadavers were cut into two by a razor along the line of the equator. Theoraserrata's tooth and the bay were examined under astero-microscope and sketched. As for the teeth and bays distributions, the 8-division-method (nasal-side, I-IV, temporal side, V-VIII) was used, and for the width of the bay and the length of the teeth, a digital microscope (the minimum readable value, 0.001mm the range of measurement, 0-25mm) was used.
The total number of teeth on the 70 eyes was 1123, the average per eye, 16.0. The re gion of the highest distribution out of the 8 divisions was the upper part of the nasal-side “II”, where the average was 3.2, and the least distributed region was the temporal side lower side “VI”, where the average was 0.5. The highest number of teeth on one eye was 34, the least, zero. The total number of bays was 859, the average per eye, 12.3. The region of the highest distribution out of the 8 divisions was, as in the case of teeth, the nasal side upper part “II”, where the average was3.2; and the region of the smallest distribution was “VI” as in the case of teeth. The average length of the 1123 teeth was0.86mm. In the division of 0.50, 671 of them (59.8%) had a length ranging from 0.51 to1.00mm, with the maximum of 4.49 mm. The total 859 bays had the average width of1.28mm, with the maximum 3.67 mm. The results of the 0.50-division showed that 453 (52.7%) had a width ranging from 1.01to1.50mm.

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It is well known that peptidoglycan possesses many biological characteristics. In the present investigation, peptidoglycan fraction was extracted from group A streptococcal cell walls and experiments were carried out on the effects of its biological activities on the mast cells isolated from the rat peritoneal exudate cells as well as on the intestinal smooth muscles of guinea pigs. The results obtained were as follows.
1) The rate of histamine release from the mast cells and the rate of degranulation of the mast cells were quantitatively determined by adding peptidoglycan in vitro. Both rates thus assessed were dose-dependent at concentrations of 1-100 μg of peptidoglycan.
2) When treated with isoproterenol or theophyllin derivatives, the rate of degranulation induced by peptidoglycan in mast cells was remarkably inhibited.
3) Peptidoglycan induced slow but clear contractions in the ileum isolated from the adult guinea pig as well as in the intestine isolated from an infant guinea pig of one week old.
4) The intestinal contractions caused by peptidoglycan were markedly inhibited when treated with H₁ antagonist rather than with H₂ antagonist.
5) The above results, all taken together, suggest that the peptidoglycan extract may have an activity which causes a release of histamine-like substances from rat mast cells and the guinea pig intestine.

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Gastric endoscopic examination was carried out in 40 patients suffering from acute viral hepatitis at the time of admission to and at discharge from the hospital.
At the time of admission, 6 patients (15%) were suffering from superficial gastritis, 12 (30%) from gastric erosion, and 6 (15%) from erosive gastritis.
These gastric mucosal lesions appeared more frequently in the patients under 30 years. This tendency was particularly evident in the case of superficial gastritis. As for the sites of predilection for erosion, the pyrolic antrum came first, and then the corpus ventriculi.
These gastric mucosal lesions appeared more frequently in the patients exhibiting gastrointestinal symptoms. Simultaneous existence of superficial gastritis and erosive gastritis could be one of the causes of the early digestive symptoms of acute viral hepatitis. Of all the gastric mucosal lesions, gastric erosion and erosive gastritis became less serous as the patients underwent the medical treatment for acute viral hepatitis, but superficial gastritis appeared to resist treatment.
Gastric juice examinations were conducted in 25 patients with auto viral hepatitis at the time of admission and at the time of discharge. The BAO and MAO values of their gastric juice at the time of admission did not show any difference from those values at the time of discharge.
On the other hand, the BAO values at the time of admission were a little higher in the case of gastric mucosal lesions (+) than in the case of simultaneous existence of superficial gastritis and erosive gastrit.

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The inhibitory effect of Lecithin-bound Iodine (LBI) on allergic reactions and immune responses in animals was studied. The results are as follows.
1) The pretreatment of 20 mg/kg of LBI induced inhibitory effects on heterologous and homologous PCA in the guinea pig and the rat.
2) The protective effect on the passive systemic anaphylactic shock and passive Arthus reaction in the guinea pig by the pretreatment of LBI was hardly noticeable.
3) The pretreatment of LBI was not effective in suppressing IgM and IgG antibody production. However, the production of IgE antibody in mice was slightly inhibited by the injection of LBI.
4) The inhibitory effect of LBI on the delayed-type allergic skin reaction in the guinea pig was dearly observed.
These results suggest that LBI may be useful in the clinical trial against type I allergic diseases and/or in some cases of auto-immune diseases.

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Due to the recent remarkable progress in electronics, it was possible to develop a small, light, high-powered pressure transducer, which has been put to practical use in many fields. We experimentally developed a manometer by using the P 37 type pressure transducer (manufactured by Gould Statham, USA) and confirmed that this manometer is very useful when animal experiments are performed. The results have already been reported to be satisfactory.
The pressure transducer is handy because it is small, light, and high-powered. Because it can be sterilized with solutions, it can be used clinically.

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